October 21, 2016
Village authorities have ordered locals in Ba Gone Nah, Maungdaw South, not to go out their villages to fish in the river.
The directive was issued by the orders of the village headman, also known as the Aishwaramu on Thursday. He also said there will be gunboats patrolling the rivers from Friday. Under such circumstances, anyone going to the river is likely to be shot by security forces.
The announcement comes amid tense times as the village tract is already on edge due to heavy military presence in the area. Locals say since October 9, there is severe food shortage as Rohingyas have faced difficulty accessing the markets, or the forests and rivers from where they must derive their livelihood. They fear that the situation will become similar to Rohingyas of IDP camps where there is starvation as Muslims remained blockaded in their own zones without access to food.
Attacks on Rohingyas going out of their villages to earn a living has long been a tactic employed by Buddhist nationalists. Rohingya activists allege the military and their allies have long used the tactic of depriving food to villagers as a strategy to force the Muslim population out of Arakan.
Meanwhile, the village authorities have also ordered the Rohingyas to knock out all boundaries in their houses, including the flimsy shelters that serve as privacy for toilets. Locals had protested the measure as this means they will be forced to go to open toilets. Authorities have struck to their orders and have refused to consider the requests of villagers.
